Interchangeable pencil



G. KELLER INTERCHANGEABLE PENCIL July 30, 1940.

Filed April 22. 1938 Hal. flaz. 75.3.

v lnvenioc Lieog heZ/er' V 35 entryof Patented July 30,

UNITED STATE m'rnncnaucmam ranch. Georg Keller, Nuremberg, Germany Application April In Ge 22, 1938, Serial N0. 203,645

rmany May 10, 193'! 6 Claims. (01. 120-14).

The present invention relates to magazine pencils in which a plurality of ranged to. be selectively moved into lead holders are ara position for use of the lead carried by one holder.

Interchangeable leads having a plurality of lead known in which the individual selectively brought into the thrust sition by means of a thrust handle pencils for various coloured holders are lead holders are forward *poand may also in some cases be withdrawn again by hand. Re-

turn springs are also lmown,

and either one re turn spring is provided .for each individual lead holder or a. common return spring is provided for all the lead holders. this case are held in the advanced locking device and are The lead holders in position by a automatically withdrawn after the locking device is released. Each lead holder moreover takes part in the rotary drive for theadvance' of the lead,

this rotary drive be.- ing first applied to a resilient arm which isprovided with a thrust handle that projects through a slot in the pencil casing. For this reason a separate slot in the pencil casing is necessary for each individual lead openings of consider of the slots in the pencil holder. An equal supports for the locking device. Owing to these various openings in there may be for example eight 0! is the entire outward appearance impai ed; but the casing the casing of the pencil, and them, not only of the pencil 'of the pencil is also weakened to such an extent that it is only possible to make it of metal.

nings dirt, particles of et and the like into the promote the I material from the pock interior of .the pencil,

whereby in certain circumstances the operation -of the component parts thereof may be preju- In order that the openings pencil should not parts, which serve and which project out of the casing consist'for the most part Considerable .difllculties perienced by men with in the casing of the have to be made still larger, the fordisplacing the'lead holders of the pencil,

of relatively small knobs. are consequently exlarge hands and fingers roughened by manual labour in rapidly and surely effecting the displacement.

The assembly 0! the many component parts of such a multi-colour interchangeable pencil presents further dimculties; are removed by the present These disadvantages inventionin that, in

spite of good and effective locking of the lead holders in the advanced openings in the pencil casingsuch position, extra large as were prenumber of ably greater width than that casing are provided as viously necessary instead of a plurality dies, only a single slot for the locking of the lead holders-are no longer necessary an particular constructional form,

d in that, in one there is provided, slots for the thrust hanthe thrust movement.

of for According to the present invention there are therefore provided,

in the casing of an interchangeable pencil having a plurality of lead holders supported in the thrust the slots which are forward position, only necessary for the thrusting forward of the lead holders by means of the thrust handles and the supporting members,

which are so'arranged that they are completely covered in the interior of the casing of the pencil and that parts of the lead holders rest in the thrust forward position against the supporting members, the disengagement of the supporting members being eflected only the thrust handle.

The invention is in the accompanying by the pressure of illustrated by way of example drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of an interchangeable pencil,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of an interchangeable pencil in another constructional form,

Fig.3isan elevation of the interchangeable pencil shown mm. 2, the pencil havingbeen rotated through Fig. 4 is away,-

Figs. 5, 6, parts Fig 1 is a section on Figs. its 9 are on an the actual size.

' In the drawing,

a longitudinal section throughthe pencil illustrated in Fig. 3 with-parts broken 8 and 9 are elevations of component the line VII-VIIof a... e, enlarged scale about twice I indicates the pencil casing,- 2

the lead holders. 3 the leads, 4 the thrust handles,

and 5 the slots'in which and withdrawal movements.

the invention the only slots 5 for the thrust movement for the thrust According to vided are the the thrust handles move slots pro- (see Fig. '1), one-such slot 6 being provided for each lead holder. The invention will however be illustrated in greater detail with reference to a particularly advantageous constructional embodiment in" which only a single to 4) v In the sleeve i is sired manner in the slot 5 is provided (see Figs. 2

embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 4, a

inserted and can be secured in any decasing i of'the pencil. Such mounting or the sleeve i iseffected by means of a pocket clip 1, the for example a screw pa t 8 of 'which is connected, 0, with other parts of the pencil. For this purpose a plate I 9 which is larger than the part 8 is attached to the latter. This plate l engages in a recess H in the sleeve 6 which is also provided with a longitudinal slot 12 that enables the sleeve to be inserted in the interior of the pencil casing after the parts i, 8 and Id have previously been introduced from the inside towards the outside of the same.

It is essential that supporting members for the lead holders should be arranged completely covered within the pencil casing. In the constructional example illustrated, a slotted tube I3 is securedin the interior of the sleeve 5, for example by means of the screw 53. The lead holders 2 are provided with a resilient part, for example a leaf spring H3, on the end portion I 5 of which is secured the thrust handle d. The arrangement is such that, as each lead holder is thrust forward, the end edge iii of the leaf spring it rests against the edge ll of the slotted tube l3 and is consequently locked in this position. For this purpose the leaf springs are provided with outward tension, for example they are bent outwardly at it. The leaf springs it are guided, during the movement of the lead holders 2, by a guide member 28 which advantageously serves as a lead receptacle IS). The guide member may be hollow as shown in Fig. 7 and provided with longitudinally extending ribs 23. This guide memberis secured in an annular member 22 having a screw-threaded part 23 adapted to be connected with a rotatable knob 2d. The annular member 22 is provided with four slots 35. This consequently permits the lead holders to rotate in the casing of the pencil and hence enables the adjustment of the selected thrust handle 6 relative to the single slot 5 to be efiected.

The slotted tube it at the end 25 is provided with inclined cam surfaces 28 so that the guide member Eli is drawn outwards with the lead holders somewhat in the direction oi the arrow A when the knob 2:3 is rotated, until one of the thrust handles :1 moves into a recess 2a in the end 25 and the thrust handle of the lead holder to be selected is adjusted relatively to the slot 55. The guide member 2!) and the annular member 22 are yieldably urged in a direction opposite to the arrow A by means of a spring 21 arranged between the lower end of the sleeve 5 and a washer 32. The washer is prevented from moving downwardly on the guide member 29 by means of pin 33. The thrust handle aligned with the slot 5 is then simply thrust forward until the part E5 of the leaf spring i8 comes to .rest with its edge is against the edge: ll of the slotted tube It, whereby the lead holder is locked in the writing position and cannot slide back even when considerable pressure is applied to the point of the lead during writing.

For the purpose of disengagement from the supporting member it is only necessary to press the thrust handle inwards, whereupon its lead holder can be drawn back into the interior of the .pencil casing.

The colours of the individual leads may be indicated in known manner either on the thrust ihande 4 or on a covering sleeve 29 behind the thrust handle 4.

The position of the parts shown in Fig. 4 illustrates one of the holders 2 in an operative position for writing with the lead 3! carried thereby. The lead holder protruding from the casing may be withdrawn by moving the handle d upwardly to disengage the end l6 of the spring M from the shoulder ll provided by the slotted tube l8.

During this upward movement the handle 4 passes in the slot 5 of the casing l. The spring It moves in the groove 5a of the guide member 20 and the upper end of the spring is prevented from moving radially outward since the slot 5 is narrow enough to provide guiding means for the spring I l. The handle 4 may thus be retracted intoone of the openings 3! provided in the annular member 22.

Another lead may be moved into a writing position at the point of the pencil casing by rotating the knob 26 until the lead of the desired color is aligned with the slot 5. This alignment is provided when another of the handles 4 moves into the recess 2t. Thus the handle d aligned with the slot 5 can be moved downwardly to project the corresponding lead holder beyond the pointed end of the casing. The end Id of the spring It will thus engage the shouldered edge ll of the slotted tube l3 and prevent the lead holder from moving upwardly in the pencil while writing.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is: a

1. In a pencil, a casing, a plurality of lead holders longitudinally movable in the casing, a yieldable member attached to each lead holder and having a thrust handle, said casing having a longitudinally extending slot, rotatable means supporting said yieldable members so that each handle may be supported in a'positlon to be moved into said slot, a slotted tube fixed within the casing providing a transverse shoulder, a sleeve arranged within the casing embracing said yieldable members adjacent said shoulder where== by the transverse shoulder is engaged by a yield-. able member when the same is moved to a forward position in the casing.

2. In a pencil, a casing having a longitudinal slot therein, a plurality of lead holders longitudinally movable in the casing, rotatable means for guiding said lead holders during longitudinal movement thereof, each of said lead holders having an actuating handle adapted to be moved in said slot, a slotted tube fixed within the casing providing a transverse sholuder at the forward end thereof and a recess in the rear end, a spring urging said guide means towards the forward end of the casing, said rotatable guide means supporting said handles and in operable relation with respect to said recess, and said recess being so positioned with respect to said slot that one of the handles will be aligned with said slot when another of the handles moves into said recess.

3. In a pencil, a casing, a plurality'of lead holders longitudinally movable in the casing, a yieldable member attached to each lead holder and having a thrust handle, said casing having a longitudinally extending slot, rotatable means supporting said yieldable members so that each handle may be turned to a position to be moved into said slot, a sleeve fixed within the casing, a slotted tube fixed within the sleeve embracing said yieldable members whereby the edge of said tube is engaged by a yieldable member when the same is moved to a forward position in the casing.

4. In a pencil, a casing, rotatable means having a guide member provided with grooves, a lead holder having a leaf spring adapted to be longitudinally moved in said groove, said casing having a slot therein longitudinally aligned with a slot in asleeve fixed in the casing, a slotted tube fixed within the sleeve. a handle carried by said leaf spring adapted to project through said slots, and said leaf spring being deformed adjacent the handle so as to engage the edge of 'said tube when the lead holder is moved to a forward position in the casing.

5. In a pencil, a casing having a longitudinal slot therein, a sleeve within the casing having a slot aligned with said first slot, a slotted tube arranged within said sleeve, 9. plate engaging an annular recess of said sleeve, means extending through said plate and said sleeveengasing said slotted tube for securing the sleeve and the tube in the casing, a rotatable guide member having grooves, a plurality of lead holders longitudinally movable within the casing, an elongated spring carried by each lead holder movable in the groove aligned with said slots, a handle carried by the spring and adapted to be moved in said slots, and said spring being adapted to engage the edge 01 said slotted tube m maintaining the lead holder in a projected position. I

6. In a pencil, a casing having a longitudinal slot therein, a sleeve fixed within the casing and having a slot aligned with said'flrst slot, a slotted tube fixed within said sleeve having its slot aligned with the first mentioned slots, a rotatable guide member having a tubular portion provided with openings, a plurality of lead holders, an elongated spring carried by each lead holder, a thrust handle carried by each spring adapted to be moved into said openings, said slotted tube having a plurality oi r in an end thereof.

a sprin u ing said guide member towards the end or the slotted 'tube and the thrust handles in operable relation with respect to said recesses.

GEOBB' KELLER. 

